Hurricane Charley news Web log

The Web log is no longer being updated, but read through our coverage from the last page forward of Hurricane Charley's rampage through Central Florida.

Sat. Aug. 14, 4:23 p.m.

Heavy rain caused the roofs to collapse on several condemned apartments near the intersection of Aloma Avenue and State Road 436, causing Orange County police and rescue workers to believe that a tornado had touched down there.

Earlier reports of a tornado were mistaken, and there was no significant weather event at that spot, according to Sheriff Kevin Beary.

On State Road 436 (Semoran Blvd.) this afternoon, from Winter Park to Orlando and on East Colonial Drive from Semoran Boulevard to downtown Orlando, traffic lights were out and police directed the flow at major intersections. Some billboards on 436 were crumpled and folded like aluminum foil, making them unrecognizable. Other businesses and apartment complexes along Semoran Boulevard had sign, awning, shingle or other and minor building damage.

At the former K-Mart (now vacant) across from Fashion Square Mall on East Colonial Drive, brick facing was ripped from the building, leaving a pile of rubble in the parking lot.

With its awning mauled and wooden boards on the windows, the message on the Citgo Truck Stop on U.S. 27 south of I-4 provided a welcome message to weather-weary motorists. The simple word "Open" was spray painted across the plywood that served as protection only hours earlier. Cars snaked around the gas station as one of only a few that served customers in this area of Polk County.

Law enforcement officers made their presence felt at some stations that provided gas, keeping lines as orderly as possible.

Traffic problems were marred by stoplights at intersections, where signals would frequently blink to red, causing traffic to stop.

Haines City police directed traffic at many of those intersections, but at others, motorists were left to figure it out themselves.

On S.R. 17 near Haines City on Saturday afternoon, people lined up outside the Publix, just hoping it would open.

The Attorney General has received 27 price-gouging complaints from Orange County.

Early damage estimate: $3.2 billion out of a total property value of $89 billion, according to Orange County's property appraiser. 165,000 parcels have been affected

OUC has 8 of 8 water plants operational.

Generators are en route to help some of the 400 sewage "lift stations" that keep sewage flowing through the system that are not operational.

The Union Park shelter is without air conditioning and is running out of food.

Power was restored to Sand Lake Hospital, and they just reported that they did not have to evacuate.

-- Melissa Harris

3:14 p.m.

Water leaks have forced the city of Orlando's 911 call operators to evacuate, according to Preston Cook, assistant director of emergency operations for Orange County.

Orlando's call operators are moving to Orange County's facility in the eastern portion of the county. Orlando officials are concerned that the water will short-circuit the system, Cook said.

3 p.m.

A tornado has touched down at Aloma Avenue and State Road 436 in Winter Park, according to Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary's office. Further details were not available.

2:21 p.m.

The 30 to 40 people in the Union Park shelter are being transferred to the Doctor Phillips special needs shelter because Union Park does not have air conditioning and is running low on food. Doctor Phillips and Howard Middle School are the only shelters still open.

2:08 p.m.

Cable television and high-speed Internet service also has been disrupted, though service providers said Saturday afternoon they were unable to estimate the extent of the problems.

A spokeswoman for Bright House Networks, Diane Culpepper, said she did not now how many of that company's 750,000 subscribers in nine Central Florida counties had lost service. That number includes 360,000 in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

"There are a lot of areas we can't get into" because of downed power lines or other safety hazards, she said. She said she did not know how many people had called to complain.

Although many cable and Internet subscribers might be without electricity, and therefore unaware of the other problems, others had power but difficulties with cable and Internet.

1:34 p.m.

Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary says there are a lot of cell phone problems in the area, so please don't use them unless it is an emergency.

Oxygen companies are running out of oxygen, according to Orange County, so those who need oxygen should go to Dr. Phillips or Union Park shelters.

1:31 p.m.

As of 11a.m., about 10,000 of Progress Energy's 61,228 Lake County customers were still without power, officials said. Rick Janka, spokesman for Progress Energy, said they are not speculating about when power might be restored.

Janka said he did not have information about whether the outages were predominately in one region of the county. Last night, official southern and northern parts of the county were reporting power outages.

"Assessments are being made, and battle plans being considered," Janka said. "We want to be able to give the most truthful and accurate statement about when power might be restored. As we make assessments, we are continuing to work on restoration.'''

Janka said 48,307 of its 73,391 customers in Polk County were without power as of 11 a.m.

11:09 a.m.

Port Canaveral opened at 7 a.m. All cruise vessels are expected to depart as scheduled. All other port operations have returned to normal.

10:47 a.m.

Thousands of travelers jammed the main terminal of Orlando International Airport today waiting for flights that couldn't take off. Planes scheduled to land at OIA were diverted to other airports.

The airfield suffered serious damage during Charley, with roofs torn off from three of the four airsides and rubble covering the surrounding tarmacs and taxiways.

The first flights were not likely to depart until late afternoon at the earliest.

A "whirlpool" of debris in the courtyard of a Volusia condominium complex, rows and rows of pine trees smashed into toothpicks along International Speedway Boulevard and damage to Daytona International Speedway are just the beginning of the wake of devastation left by Hurricane Charley in Daytona Beach.

Residents of Bellair Condominiums, a complex with 127 units on State Road A1A, reported their u-shaped courtyard creating a "whirlpool" effect between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. during the worst of the hurricane. Debris smashed through windows facing the courtyard, and the wind ripped off some hurricane shutters.

In Ormond Beach, "it was just an entourage of trash and debris coming up the street constantly," said Wes Yowell, who had taken refuge in a fifth-floor room at the Surfside Resort and Suites.

The racetrack itself appeared undamaged at Daytona International Speedway.

Downed trees were virtually everywhere, but reporter Ludmilla Lelis found Bill France Boulevard and Mason Boulevard impassible because of "15 to 20-foot tall trees" blocking all four lanes of traffic.

Along International Speedway Boulevard, also known as U.S. 92, 20-foot-tall pine trees that had survived the 1998 wildfires were snapped in half or smashed apart entirely during the night. What had been a tree-lined road now has a clear view, Lelis reports.

10:32 a.m.

There are still areas of Central Florida without water, and Orange County will soon be announcing water and ice distribution centers in the county to handle the situation.

There are no reports of overturned mobile homes and no reports of total collapse of structures.

10:31 a.m.

Lynx buses are not running. They are transporting people with special needs in vans only. Service is not expected to be restored today, officials said.

9:21 a.m.

Osceola County officials continue to assess damage left behind by Hurricane Charley. So far, officials cite nearly 100,000 people without power and approximately 40 downed telephone poles.

Osceola County Fire Rescue doubled its manpower in an effort to respond to the 230 emergency calls received since late yesterday. At this time there are no storm-related deaths nor serious injuries. Typical emergency calls have been by residents reporting roof collapses, broken windows, debris in the roadway and loss of electricity due to downed power lines.

Last night, public works crews were able to clear most of the major roads in Osceola County, including Poinciana Boulevard, Boggy Creek Road, Neptune Road, Highway 192, John Young Parkway and Orange Blossom Trail. Crews continued clearing debris from roads and bridges as early as 6 a.m.

Residents with storm damage that is not an emergency should call (407) 343-7000. Residents with life-threatening and emergency situations should call 911.

8:41 a.m.

A fire station in Point Sienna was one of Hurricane Charley's first victims in Osceola County, where part of a garage roof caved in, possibly on top of one of Station No. 45's engines, according to an Osceola County spokesperson.

Emergency workers responded only to "life-threatening calls" during the hurricane and its immediate aftermath last night, however, and did not attend to the incident immediately.

The county's first life-threatening call came around 10 p.m. from a hotel in downtown Kissimmee, where a roof buckled under the storm.

Charley also knocked down numerous trees, power lines and traffic lights along the John Young Parkway.

-- Rebecca Panoff

8:25 a.m.

Florida Power and Light reports 38,980 customers without power in Brevard County: 18,216 in Titusville area, 2,042 in the Merritt Island area , and 18,722 in the Melbourne area .

200 FPL employees are currently in the area working to restore power. Another 100 will be added today. 150 tree-trimming crews are working with the repair crews as well.

Additional damage cited includes 28 downed power lines, five arcing power lines, four trees laying on power lines, 17 downed trees blocking roadways, 13 traffic signals out, one overflowing sewer, and five pieces of debris found on roadways.

Emergency Management officials will take aerial tour later this morning to assess further countywide damage.

Citizens without power or wanting to report a dangerous situation where a live power line is down are urged to call 1-800-4OUTAGE (468-8243).

8:13 a.m.

Universal Studios plans to open at 9:30 a.m. today.

7:53 a.m.

Walt Disney World theme parks, as well as Downtown Disney, are scheduled to open on Saturday, August 14, at 9 a.m. Because of the storm however, park officials say it may take a few hours for the areas to become fully operational.

"Like other members of the Central Florida community," states Disney officials, "our property received some damage as a result of Hurricane Charley. While it is too early to assess the total impact of the storm, we would not open unless it was safe for our Guests and Cast. As always the safety of our Guests and Cast Members is our top priority."

All Walt Disney World Cast Members, whether or not their work area is open, should report to work at the appropriate time today if it is safe to do so. Guests who have questions should call (407) WDW-INFO or (407) 939-4636.

The Magic Kingdom will close at 11 p.m. Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios will close at 9 p.m. Blizzard Beach will close at 7:30 p.m. Disney's Animal Kingdom hours are still pending at this time. Typhoon Lagoon will be closed.

7:37 a.m.

Locally, at least 126,000 in Orlando and St. Cloud are without power, or two-thirds of OUC customers. Already, 23,000 customers have had their power restored. Crews in from Georgia and Jacksonville and South Carolina and have no idea at this point when power will be restored, but their priorities are hospitals, fire stations, police, emergency broadcasting, communications, water. Power has already been restored at ORMC.

The center of Hurricane Charley was located near latitude 31.2 north, longitude 80.5 west or about 115 miles south-southwest of Charleston, S.C.

Charley is moving toward the north-northeast near 25 mph. This motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed during the next 24 hours. On this track, Charley will be nearing the South Carolina coast later today.

Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher gusts mainly to the east of the center. Some strengthening is possible before landfall.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles mainly to the east of the center.

4:26 a.m.

The death toll from Hurricane Charley rose early Saturday, when a county official said there had a been "a number of fatalities" at a mobile home park and deputies were standing guard over stacks of bodies because the area was inaccessible to ambulances. Wayne Sallade, Charlotte County's director of emergency management, said there were confirmed deaths in at least three other areas in the county. There were three confirmed storm-related deaths elsewhere in the state Friday.

4:11 a.m.

The fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Danielle, formed Friday but posed no immediate concern to land. The fifth may form as early as Saturday and threaten islands in the southeastern Caribbean Sea.

2 a.m.

The center of Hurricane Charley was located over the Atlantic near latitude 30.1 north, longitude 80.8 west or about 190 miles south-southwest of Charleston, S.C.

Charley is moving toward the north-northeast near 25 mph, and this motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed during the next 24 hours. On this track, Charley will be nearing the South Carolina coast later today.

Data from a reconnaissance aircraft indicate that Charley is still a hurricane after moving across Florida. Maximum sustained winds remain near 85 mph, with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible today as the center moves over warm water.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.

12:58 a.m.

The eastern side of Orlando is totally black. "It looks like the end of the world out here," says Sentinel reporter Jim Leusner. From the East-West Expressway, up the Greeneway to Casselberry, "it's totally, totally black." Leusner also reports very little traffic on the highways. All police on the roads have their lights flashing.

12:38 a.m. Saturday

Orlando Police Department blocks off Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando. At least one Orange Avenue bar, though, was open for business after the storm.

11:44 p.m.

Both Orange and Osceola County institute mandatory curfews until 6 a.m.

11 p.m.

The center of Hurricane Charley was located near latitude 29.1 north, longitude 81.1 west or about 10 miles southwest of Daytona Beach.

Charley is moving toward the north-northeast near 25 mph, and this motion is expected to with an increase in forward speed during the next 24 hours. On the forecast track, the center of Charley will move into the Atlantic near Daytona Beach during the next hour or two, then move near or over the South Carolina coast Saturday morning.

Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph, with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast once the center of Charley moves back over water.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles. During the past few hours, Orlando International Airport reported sustained winds of 77 mph with a gust of 105 mph. Sanford recently reported a wind gust of 92 mph.

10:48 p.m.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office has begun rolling back out into the community to conduct damage assessments. Citizens are encouraged to notify appropriate agencies about problems, but not to venture out onto the roads. There is severe road blockage throughout the county due to power lines and fallen trees. Again, there is very little ability to move about within the community and drivers will be risking theirs and others safety if they begin venturing out.

The Sheriff's Office will be working with the other county government agencies to clear the roadways as soon as possible.

As winds outside the hospital blow strong enough now to jar the lampposts, the awning outside the emergency room has become the hospital hang out.

Four or five families, including several children clutching stuffed animals stand outside watching the storm. One of the storm-watchers tries to squeeze in a smoke break, but wind grabs the cigarette before the flame from his lighter can touch it.

Inside, the emergency room is eerily quiet. People are waiting for the storm to pass, because that's when they expect patients to start trickling in.

One nurse, who remembers working during Hurricane Floyd, sits by a television, talking to a patient.

She's not paying much attention to the weather reports because, she says, "You do everything you can, you prepare as much as you can, and then you just wait."

10:10 p.m.

Sentinel writer Lisa Emmerich, reporting from Orange City:

As television weather reports showed Charley approaching Volusia County, nurses and hospital administrators at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City cluster, not around the television but around plates of comfort food set out for them.

The cafeteria has closed, and many of the workers who will be here through the night to handle an increased load of patients are hungry.

Staff members brought their children and families to camp out at the hospital until the storm threat is over, so some nurses are doing double duty as baby-sitters.

Power flickers off, and everyone hanging out by the food looks momentarily panicked. So many things can go wrong at any moment, threatening the lives of the patients in their care. Seconds pass, a back up generator kicks in, and chatter resumes.

Looking out a window at trees bent in the wind, one employee says: "Hurricane? This is nothing."

At 9:09, Sam Wallace, 19, of Tampa, sat in the hotel's jacuzzi. Wallace, his parents, his sister and her child evacuated from Tampa only to have the storm follow them up Interstate 4. He said once he found out that the hurricane had missed his home, "It's nothing but a getaway."

Just then, the lights flickered. "Here it comes," he said climbing out of the indoor jacuzzi.

At 9:11, hotel employees shepherded guests into two first-floor meeting rooms. About two dozen families including one with a pet canary passed the time playing cards, talking on their cell phones, or just waiting quietly.

At 9:35 the lights went out. Dimmer emergency lights flickered on.

In one of the meeting rooms, boys carried flashlights, chasing one another and looking under tables seemingly unaware of the ferocious storm passing overhead. The hotel employee stuck his head into one of the meeting rooms to see whether everyone was all right. A guest asked him what he had heard about the hurricane. He said "the TV is out. I had a radio that I was using to listen to the weather."

He held up the radio, turned it out and there was only static.

9:32 p.m.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is advising all citizens to remain indoors and away from windows and doors until the most severe portion of the storm passes. Sheriff's Office personnel will be responding only to crisis situations, and not for routine types of calls until winds fall back below 45 m.p.h.

9:10 p.m.

The center of Hurricane Charley was located near latitude 28.4 north, longitude 81.4 west or about 15 miles south-southwest of Orlando. The storm is moving toward the north-northeast near 25 mph and a gradual increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Saturday. The center of the hurricane will pass near Orlando in the next hour, and it should move across the northeastern portion of the Florida peninsula into the Atlantic later tonight.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 90 mph with higher gusts. Further weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. However hurricane force winds are spreading across Florida near the path of the center of the hurricane. Orlando International Airport reported sustained winds of 61 mph with a gust to 83 mph.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.

9:06 p.m.

The front doors of the Gaylord Palms hotel on U.S. Highway 192 were sandbagged Friday night, so guests had to use side entrances. In front of the hotel, where utility-repair crews were mustering, a large lamppost blew over about 8:15 p.m. No one was hurt.

9:04 p.m.

Charley's winds knocking power out across Orlando.

7:54 p.m.

All 13 of Brevard County's Emergency Shelters are open at this time. Currently there are 773 people occupying these shelters. The total possible capacity of all the shelters is 12,800. Only the BCC-Cocoa Campus Shelter has reached capacity. Oak Park Elementary in Titusville is not open as a shelter.

7:16 p.m.

Progress Energy reported more than 11,000 customers without power south of Orlando.

7 p.m.

The center of Hurricane Charley was located near latitude 27.7 north, longitude 81.8 west, about 65 miles south-southwest of Orlando. The storm is moving toward the north-northeast near 25 mph and a gradual increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Saturday. The center of the hurricane will likely pass near Winter Haven and Orlando during the next few hours, and it should move across the northeastern portion of the Florida peninsula into the Atlantic later tonight.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 115 mph with higher gusts. Further weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. However hurricane force winds are spreading across Florida near the path of the center of the hurricane.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.

6:28 p.m.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers are responding to a serious traffic accident on eastbound The BeeLine (SR 528) at SR 520. Both eastbound lanes are reportedly blocked. There are two fatalities confirmed, and several other victims believed to be trapped in the wreckage. The closest alternate route would be by way of SR 50 west of Titusville.

6:25 p.m.

The shelter at Brevard Community College's Cocoa campus is filled to capacity. Evacuees who planned to use that shelter should instead go to Manatee Elementary School near Space Coast stadium in Viera.

6:23 p.m.

Dr. Phillips High School shelter is over capacity. Has 1200 people while only equipped for about 700. They're asking that people go instead to Cypress Creek. Also Barnett Park shelter, which was pet friendly, is over capacity and people are encouraged to go to Bithlo shelter, also pet friendly.

6:18 p.m.

There is steady rain in Maitland, with an accumulation since last night of about 1 inch. No winds yet.

There were early reports of widespread damage and one person killed while driving during the storm, a crash on Interstate 75 in Sarasota County, the sheriff's office said.

Some 335,000 customers lost power, Florida Power & Light said.

There were reports of damage in Cape Coral, Sanibel Island and North Fort Myers. The roof, windows and doors were damaged at Cape Coral Hospital, said Gordon DeMarchi, public information officer at the Lee County emergency management center, but no injuries were reported.

About 120,000 customers lost power in Lee County -- including the emergency management center.

Orange County emergency officials urged residents who live in mobile homes to evacuate by 6:30 p.m. Friday. After that, conditions are likely to worsen so much that residents will be safer if they stay put, Orange County Chairman Rich Crotty said at a 4:45 p.m. news briefing.

"The entire county will be covered by the eye of the storm, according to our projections," Crotty said. "As of 11 o'clock at night, we'll be right in the bullseye."

Deputy sheriffs and firefighters have been going to the estimated 400 mobile home parks in Orange County, urging residents to evacuate. Residents who cannot leave for some reason were urged to call the county's information line at 407-836-3111 if they need assistance. But help may not be available once conditions worsen.

"Once (winds) get over 50 mph, it will be on a case-by-case basis, because at that point, the deputies could be in peril," Undersheriff Malone Stewart said.

Crotty said he spoke with Gov. Jeb Bush Friday afternoon to ensure that emergency assistance will be available from outside Central Florida. The chairman stressed that cleanup will start as soon as the storm passes. County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan said teams from his office will venture out at first light to begin assessing the damage, with an eye toward seeking federal disaster assistance.

-- Mark Schlueb5 p.m.The center of Hurricane Charley was located near latitude 26.9 north, longitude 82.2 west or about 30 miles west-northwest of Ft. Myers. This position is also about 115 miles south-southwest of Orlando. Charley is moving toward the north-northeast near 22 mph and a gradual increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Saturday. The forecast track moves Charley across Florida and off the northeast Florida coast overnight.Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph with higher gusts. Weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours. However hurricane force winds are expected to spread across Florida near the path of the center of the hurricane. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.4:58 p.m.Tornado warning for Orange County and Osceola County until 6 p.m.At 5 pm, the National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a tornado 11 miles southwest of Holopaw, or about 10 miles north Lake Kissimmee, moving north at 35 mph.The tornado is expected to be near Harmony at 5:05 p.m., 6 miles east of Saint Cloud at 5:10 p.m., near Narcoossee, 6 miles east of east Lake Toho at 5:15 p.m., near Lake Mary Jane at 5:25 p.m.4:32 p.m.Punta Gorda reports sustained winds of 87 mph with a gust to 109 mph.Also, more than 1,000 people are in Orange County shelters. Two -- West Orange High School and the pet-friendly shelter at Barnett Park -- are near capacity, but still taking people.4 p.m.Charley was centered near latitude 26.4 north, longitude 82.3 west, 20 miles west-northwest of Fort Myers. Winds of at least 74 mph extended outward 30 miles from the eye.3:51 p.m.Tornado warning for northwestern Brevard County and southeastern Volusia County until 5 p.m.At 3:51 p.m., National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a tornado 7 miles northwest of Canaveral Groves, or about 7 miles northwest of Lone Cabbage Fish Camp, moving north at 30 mph.The tornado is expected to be, 8 miles west of Titusville at 4:05 p.m., 7 miles west of Mims at 4:15 p.m., near Scottsmoor at 4:25 p.m., near Maytown at 4:30 p.m., 8 miles west of Oak Hill at 4:40 p.m.3:50 p.m.A Flood Watch is in effect for all of east Central Florida through 8 p.m. Saturday.Fri. Aug. 13, 3:45 p.m. FridayHurricane Charley makes landfall at Charlotte Harbor packing 145-mph winds.

Bryan Santana, the man accused of stabbing his roommate and defiling her corpse, tried to punch a corrections officer, soiled himself and smeared excrement on the wall of a holding cell before his murder trial was due to begin on Tuesday.